Conflict is Necessary for Innovation - Compete Outside the Box

Conflict is Necessary for Innovation© Dr. Eric J. Romero, PhDConflict is a normal part of human interaction and no amount of happy thoughts canchange it. Amazingly, some people think that conflict is "unprofessional". Actually, it’savoiding the resolution of conflict that is unprofessional. Unresolved conflict festers andleads to resentment and even hatred, which makes functional work relationshipsimpossible. Managing conflict is one of the many difficult tasks that leaders are paid todo.Conflict is best discussed and resolved, not hidden behind fake niceness. Part of life ina free society is accepting that others have different opinions and ideas. Everyonehaving the same opinions and ideas would be very strange, but that’s just what politicalcorrectness and fake niceness are designed to achieve. Additionally, if everyoneexpresses the same fake politically correct opinions, the result is a lack of diverse ideas.In such an environment, creativity is unlikely.The diversity of ideas upon which innovation depends is likely to create conflict aspersonnel advocate their ideas over those of others. This should not be discouraged,but managed. In fact, conflict is essential for innovation because it increases thenumber of ideas available for potential innovation. It leads to discussion into issues thatmust be resolved for people to work together and innovate.Constructive ConflictFortunately, not all conflict is negative. Conflict can be made constructive by focusing onreaching compromise, mutual respect and a better understanding of what the other sidethinks. Constructive conflict is based on honesty and candor. While constructive conflictcan be messy, it’s necessary because it reveals the truth. Only by knowing the truth (thegood and bad) can one understand issues, solve problems and innovate.Constructive conflict comes in many beneficial forms. Political debates help voters learnfar more about candidates than if they were artificially nice and pleasant with eachother. It’s during debates that the truth comes out and you can really understandcandidates.Competition in the form of sports, business, etc., all are examples of constructiveconflict. The improvements and hard work needed to win makes all competitors better.For example, competition from foreign auto producers has helped motivate Americancar manufactures to innovate and improve quality.1©2012 Eric J. Romero, Ph.D.

How to Encourage Constructive Conflict Hire personnel who have thick skin and aren't easily hurt by debates Encourage staff to express their ideas and opinions, especially if others don't agree Talk about the value of constructive conflict and make is part of the culture Don't avoid conflict...manage it and make constructive Use humor to defuse conflict and avoid negative conflict Don't be afraid to state your position, even if no one agrees with you When conflict cannot be resolved, admit that sometimes people have to leaveBeing an unconventional leader means doing the hard and sometimes unpleasant workof managing conflict. By encouraging constructive conflict, you allow staff to be realhuman beings who occasionally disagree. The result is more ideas, real communicationand innovation.Follow me on Twitter and check out my book to get tons of great ideas on how tobecome an unconventional leader and create an innovative organization.Eric J. Romero, PhD is an Unconventional Leadership Badass. For over 15 years, Erichas helped managers become unconventional leaders. Eric partners with leaders tohelp them create competitive advantage based on creativity, flexibility and risktakingso they can innovate and win. Eric has written over 35 articles and presented hisideas around the world. He is the author of Compete Outside the Box: TheUnconventional Way to Beat the Competition. Originally from New York City, hispresentations are delivered with a sense of humor, 100% unedited honesty and streetsmarts. For more information go to www.CompeteOutsideTheBox.com.Rebel, Innovate & Win!2©2012 Eric J. Romero, Ph.D.